(From a report presented, Sunday, December 4, to the Congregation, by Nancy Rudolph and Linda Kopetti, co-chairs of the Renewal Grant Steering Committee)

As many of you know…Thanks to a grant from the Lilly Endowment Pastoral Renewal Program, Dave has an amazing sabbatical opportunity that will take him to Africa and to Europe in the coming year.

During the same time all of us have the chance to learn and grow in many ways. Nancy Rudolph and Linda Kopetti have the responsibility of leading this endeavor through co-chairing the Lilly Endowment Renewal Grant steering committee, which includes Drue Hood, Bob Moody, Jane Porchey, Kay Roush, Liu Lin Thio, Kedra Tolson, Tracey Harris and Dave Denoon.

Nancy and Bob presented the specifics on Oct. 2. Since then the work of the committee has focused on writing the goals for the renewal project based on the grant proposal.

The goals we agreed to are these:

• Learn about the history of African Americans in Webster Groves and St. Louis County, including how our church fits into that history, as well as the history of African American – White relationships.
• Challenge and prepare ourselves using experiences and education opportunities to identify our biases and attitudes that inhibit our interacting more fully with people of other ethnicities.
• Develop a relationship with at least one African American congregation in Webster Groves.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?  Well, no, it doesn’t. Many have already traveled this road. Some in this room have traveled this road.  Quite possibly some of us can learn from your experiences. What I think we all know, and I do believe we know this, is that not all of our family, our wider family, is drinking equally from the well.  The work isn’t finished.

The Steering Committee is aware that members of our congregation have differing views on this renewal project. This isn’t a surprise is it?  But members of the Steering Committee do not agree on every topic that we have discussed, exactly where we might be going with this project and how we will get there. In that respect, they reflect the congregation. We don’t all agree and we think that is ok.

The Curriculum subcommittee is working hard to find a variety of opportunities and activities that will enable all of us to share and learn.

Our first opportunity will be the 2017 Martin Luther King Day walk and program. Some on the Steering Committee have never attended. But they are committed, this year, to step out of their boxes, possibly their comfort zones and meet their neighbors. It is hoped that many in the congregation will join them, but if not the MLK march then another program or Adult Ed or some other activity in the coming year

Please, if you have any questions or suggestions, or ideas about how we should make this journey, tell Nancy or Linda or Bob or Jane or Kedra or Liu Lin or Drue.

Thank you.